December is always a busy time for me at work and with the holidays so on the Saturday before Christmas I really wasn’t in the mood to do a lot of work dinner-wise. To make things simple we just ordered in some takeout Sushi from Spring Sushi for our usual Mick and Amy Saturday night dinner. This worked out well as I had a new Champagne in the fridge that I wanted to try out and Champagne and Sushi pair very well together. The Champagne was a JM Gobillard & Fils (non-vintage).
The nose on the Champagne was powerful and easy to find with aromas of yeast, sage and cedar. Tasting the wine tart grapefruit was the dominant flavour. The taste changed though with the Sushi and it was more of a very nice Mandarin orange/orange liqueur flavour. The structure was good but acidity was a touch harsh at times and finish didn’t linger for long. I really didn’t like this Champagne on its own but it was exceptionally good with the Sushi. It was also a simple and straight forward Champagne without much complexity.
Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 87, Mark – 87, Kathy – 86, Amy – 85, Overall – 86.25.
Here is the LCBO information on the wine –
Gobillard & Fils Tradition Brut Champagne
VINTAGES#: 385807 Price : $42.95
Release Date : September 13, 2014
750 mL bottle
Alcohol/Vol 12.5%
Made in: Champagne, France
By: Champagne Jm Gobillard & Fils
Sugar Content:11 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor : XD - Extra Dry
Style: Rich & Complex
Varietal : Champagne
Description - Tightly meshed and vibrant, with juicy acidity backing hints of pineapple and papaya, showing flavors of chalk, biscuit, plum and fresh ginger. A note of zesty spice graces the fresh, mineral-tinged finish. Drink now through 2016. Score - 90. (Alison Napjus, winespectator.com, Nov. 30, 2013)
At $43 dollars this Champagne is at the lower end of the price point. I’m a bit torn on recommending this one as it wasn’t great on its own but if you wanted it to go with Sushi I would certainly recommend that you pick up a bottle.
I’d like to wish my loyal two or three readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Cheers!
Mark.
